


when you see stars

by rainystripe



Series: space age love song [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Awkward First Times, Betty is curious, Body Image, F/M, First Time Blow Jobs, Jughead can’t compute, References to Depression, awkward af jughead, demisexual jughead, experimental virgins, somewhat dom! betty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-01-20 12:12:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12432573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainystripe/pseuds/rainystripe
Summary: “No regrets?” she asks in the tiniest of whisper. Blue eyes watch their feet, never breaking contact with the neat pastel pink flats against his own cuffed hand-me-down shoes. It’s a simple question filled with so much more. It’s innocent enough to answer. He knows that he feels something. They can’t go back now.





	1. alien

**Author's Note:**

> huge thanks to createandconstruct for helping me out with the beta'ing process ♥

Jughead Jones.

Self proclaimed weirdo, young ‘soft emo’, the Serpent’s son, Wednesday- _fucking-_ Adams…was in a predicament.

You see, Jughead is wondering at this very moment, how he even landed in such a position. One position so strange that pinching the jean covered skin beneath his thigh has become a habit within the last three hours. A moment so obscene, so utterly adulterated, and  _un-Jughead_ , that his heart is possibly (it is) trying to rip through his rib cage and onto his lap in a bloody mess. His breathing has long gone from the unthought regulated act, he might stop breathing at any given second. His palms are sweaty and the room feels warm. He swears the heat is getting cranked up and up every second  just by the ghost of his thoughts. Even though he’s aware of the fact that the dingy trailer doesn’t come with AC. The Jones’ aren’t that well off.

Still. Jughead did not expect to end up in the tiny trailer with his childhood friend. Not only that, but in the childhood home that was suddenly starting to become tainted with hormonal teens. Like blood on water, the scandalous act crept through the little room before engulfing the entire space, making it theirs the moment that Betty Cooper step foot within the breaches of a seemingly innocent, troubled home.

Hot and bothered is one description that he thought he’d never, ever, in a million years be: Except, he was.

And, oh boy, he was.

Sucking in a ragged breath, the air itself felt like it wasn’t enough. Innocent lungs, filled with nothing but Riverdale’s finest, crisp air and the occasional fumes from the used cigarettes that littered the coffee table and dirty carpet of the small trailer, Jughead struggles to take another unsteady breath. He’s used to certain smells. Three come to mind: Cheap beer, the greasy stench of Pop’s and the Andrews residence. All three make up the one thing that most bring him comfort and a sense of familiarity: home. But there’s something warm and sweet wafting up his nostrils. A smell so subtle and suddenly very nostalgic. It’s weird, almost as if he were being introduced to the scent. The fragrance makes his fingers twitch, suddenly having the overwhelming feeling to stuff his face into the crook of her neck to get more.

_Coconut._

Betty Cooper smells like sweet coconuts. At least, the artificial stuff…

And wow does she smell good. Good enough for him to tug on the ends of her pastel pink sweater, the action which makes her lean in closer. The scent is light, not overpowering, but it’s there. Sweet and comforting.

Addicting.

Did she use everything that was coconut? Shampoo, conditioner and body wash? He was starting to wonder because up until three hours ago, the thought had never crossed his mind.

There’s also one more thing that he smells. Cherry? Strawberry? Something-berry. Something definitely within the berry family, and it’s on her lips. The gloss shinning so brightly that it almost blinds him when she leans her head closer to his own. Orange light beams right through the small window to the left of the living room. The cheap green curtains look like throw up and even then, in all their ugliness, they still fail to do their job. But he doesn’t mind, because Betty Cooper’s lips are ghosting right above his own chapped lips. Her warm breath providing him with more of her essence, one which he greedily sucks into his own lungs: consuming her. It’s an erotic scene, one which his stormy blue eyes can hardly take in because never in a million years did he think he belonged in such a scene . Jughead was starting to feel overwhelmed, dazed by the ever changing events that Betty keeps putting him through at that very moment.

Jughead Jones was a strange being. He’s an alien among humans, except he’s not. He’s simply his own sort of being within the normalcy of Riverdale: The Town with Pep! And those aware of the alien living among them…they made sure to make him aware of his invasion

Okay, that’s a lie. There was one place where he was a ghost that occasionally became human enough to remind people of his existence: Riverdale High School.

See, as a sort of alien,  Jughead was certain, almost positive (which is a total joke now) that he wasn’t a sexual person. Unlike his best friend, Archie who was into digging around his laptop in the middle of the night to catch a free stream of the buxom ‘babes’ getting into some sticky situations, Jughead was not into that at all. If anything, the concept of porn was disgusting. Nude’s, films and the act itself was just something he would have never guessed for himself. God, the world must be laughing at him now.

Hell, the last time his crotch was touched was when he lathered his body in the shower that morning, and it was just that: hygienic purposes. Not the sexual act that had all his available blood rushing to the section between his legs. It was difficult to even think up the last time he touched himself for pleasure. It was that rare. Girls and even men weren’t important to him. Sure, he could appreciate a good looking person, who wouldn’t? But to actively nurse the idea of a person through sexual needs was weird.

It was un-Jughead like. Jughead™ just didn’t do sex, at least, not with others.

Yet, why was he wishing for Betty to do more? The shaking in his bones betrayed his earlier feelings of heat. He’s on fire and he’s sure of it, but he’s also freezing? Betty’s big emerald eyes shine brightly when she tilts her head in the right angle and they aren’t helping her cause. In fact, she’s making it worse with each blink of her doe eyes, her long dark lashes distracting him for a split second.

Wow, Betty was pretty.

She’s so distracting in-fact, that he misses the part where he nods in approval to her request to go farther. Jughead’s eyes are back to being trained on her lips and the raised skin that makes up her signature mole just below her lip. The blonde is made up of nothing but smooth, supple looking skin. Skin that makes him think of a blondie, good enough to eat. Wow, that’s a new one: food reminding him of his childhood friend. So, she was starting to become that important, so much in fact that she’s comparable to a brownies cousin. But Betty is important, of course she is. Archie, Betty and himself are the three amigos. Self-proclaimed Best Friends. Although if he had to correctly define: it was Betty and Archie, Archie and Jughead. Betty and Jughead was rare, but it was never awkward when it was just them as a combo.

This current moment in time was redefining the meaning behind the duo. Their status once again begins to morph the minute the neat golden ponytail dips down and away from his vision to where he locks eyes with the puke green curtains once more.

Spooked, Jughead snaps his head down, his body shaking in anticipation and nervousness. Heart racing, his chest visibly shakes when he sucks in a breath.

“B-Betts, what are yo-“he begins, and as soon as he does he’s cut off by the doe eyes staring back at him. He feels like he’s going to die then. His brain struggling to calculate the situation in which Betty is attempting to unbuckle his belt. It happens so quickly that by the time he can sit up an inch, Betty’s warm fingers are already scalding hot against his erection. With a gentle squeeze, a sharper intake of air is sucked in response.

“Juggie…” Her whisper is barely audible, but he hears it over the loud pounding that is his heart in his ears. Seriously, maybe he was dying. Maybe the lack of oxygen filtering through his lungs was beginning to take effect or something. Was he going into cardiac arrest? Was Betty Cooper really cradling his cock in her sweet, soft hands?

“You’re so hard.”

Was the world ending?

Betty sounds amazed, surprised at how quickly things escalated. The concept of foreplay was one that she’d wanted to test out the moment things got out of hand and boy was it working.

Formulating a response proves to be a challenge as all his mouth can do is chatter. Tongue tied for a good three seconds. Jughead’s body won’t stop shaking, almost as if he’s naked out in the snow with nothing but his bare arms to keep him warm. The cold chill however, comes in the form of Betty. Which begs the question: Why was a seemingly perfect blonde, the perfect honor student and Miss Teen Riverdale 2015-2017 and girl next door sitting next to him, doing such dirty things? Betty isn’t supposed to be this adult-like. No way, if she was to ever do this it would be with Archie, not himself. Everyone and their dog knew that Betty would be the one to end up with Archibald Andrews.

“…going, okay?” her sweet voice comes through again to which he blinks and nods. There was something about Betty, he noticed, if she was using her honey voice, one could easily tune out everything else and just come undone under her spell. It was comforting, and well meaning. A voice warm enough to quell all his worries. Those big green eyes of hers would suck the life out of you and transform one into her puppet. Call him Pinocchio Jones.

No wonder the entirety of Riverdale was under her spell.

The raven-haired boy nodded whilst paying no attention to anything that the blonde had just asked him. He nodded as if in a trance. Betty nods back at him with a nervous little smile before her face disappears again. The old couch creaks when she adjusts her body to lay against his thigh. All Jughead can do is watch in wonder as the scene before him unfolds. There he was, under mind control through the evil powers of Betty Cooper, whom he’s allowed to let his manhood hang out for. She was the only person ever (besides his doctor who delivered him and mother) to be allowed to see him in such a state, let alone with a raging erection. One erection so painfully obvious that every little touch causes his toes curl and the hair on his neck stand in anticipation. What was Betty going to do? Jack him off or something? After all, this moment in time has come out of nowhere, but hey, he wasn’t complaining. Although, he could easily come up with commentary after, one which he was sure she wouldn’t want to listen to given the circumstances surrounding her literal lips above the crown of his manhood. The fact that Betty is face to face with his erect member is enough to smack him back into reality. There she was, blonde angel with bright green eyes, curiously facing off with the taught, silky skin of his cock.

“Betty, I-“and just like before, he’s shaking again. The words begging to go past his lips tumble out in a choked gasp the moment that there’s a kiss in the air.

And on him.

“Shh…” he’s hushed and Betty cradles his cock against the corner of her lips before planting another soft kiss against the throbbing veins that curl around the muscle. Her eyes are intense, zeroed in on her prey with a look so heavily resembling teenage lust. He listens like the obedient boy that he’s suddenly become. Betty is his master and he is her slave, and that becomes fact the moment his arm reaches for his center to try and block her away from him, but is quickly smacked away. “B-Betty, come on. W-what…” his breathing is labored; the pupils of his baby blues are blown wide and his chest is heaving. All that he can do is clamp both hands down against the armrest and headrest of the old couch in a lame attempt to calm himself. The tips of his fingers turning white with tension. There was no going back now. Betty Cooper had seen and is currently in possession of his hardened cock.

Christ almighty.

With a gulp that almost causes him to choke, the boy hisses and pulls his body back into the couch as far as it can go, and away from Betty’s lips. She takes the crown of his member into her glossed lips and away from him, but it’s futile. Thin, small fingers hold him gently in place, squeezing rhythmically around him, like a beat to a song. The act alone so foreign and obscene that Betty questions her actions. The sensation isn’t that off putting, but she has to open her mouth wide enough to keep him in. She blinks a few times, her eyes focused on the plaid pattern around Jughead’s waist.

“Jesus Christ.” Jughead manages to gasp out, his beanie clad head bumping hard against the headrest. Since he couldn’t remember the last time that he pleasured himself, one thing was for sure however, and that was the feeling of his hand compared to a soft, moist, hot mouth was something that could not go hand in hand. Betty’s mouth reigned superior.  A new champion was named then, and holy fuck did it feel weirdly good. Being as sensitive as he already was, the raven-haired boy couldn’t sit still while she kept him in her mouth. She sucked twice while in place before letting go with an audible ‘pop’.  

“I’ve never done this before, Juggie…” she began. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Lies, he thinks. She definitely knows what she’s doing, right?

Right?

He wonders as he sneaks a glimpse at in her direction. Betty’s cheeks are in flames bright enough to rival his own. She’s looks sinfully cute, staring at this knee while those seemingly innocent hands grip him in place. God what a scene. Betty with a penis that happened to belong to him, a penis that she had just been experimenting with.

“You don’t have to do anything…”

God, god. GOD.

Everything was awkward, talking was awkward, breathing was awkward, being alive was even more awkward. Betty however, didn’t seem to mind one bit as she shook her head. “I want to.” She manages to breathe out only before stealing glance in his direction as well. She looks away rapidly before focusing back on her task, the one where he can’t remember her asking permission for. Jughead’s heart skips two beats and he gulps, nodding. “Okay.” Comes his whisper.

He screws his eyes back together when he’s enveloped again, his feet jerking back against the bottom of the couch with a painful smack. This time she goes a little bit farther, taking him in right to the center which causes his nostrils to flare in two long exhales.

Betty was really doing this.

Said girl shuffled forward on his thigh, allowing her for a much comfier experience and position. Never once letting go of the member in her mouth and hands. Having something that isn’t food in her mouth makes her ponder her decisions. The fact that she’s on someone’s lap with a specific part of the male anatomy in between her lips.

“Shit.”

That somehow encourages Betty and she sucks upward carefully, an action that has Jughead squirming. The little glances that she manages to take fuel her even further, one that also ignites a fire in her tummy. Seeing the power that she suddenly has over the beanie clad boy is indescribable. Jughead staring into the ceiling, his adam’s apple prominent against the shadows cast by the small stream of light that bounces off the walls in various hues of orange, brown and red. All which extenuate his features. Sharp jaw, prominent cheekbones and a pointed nose. The best part, she notices, is the sprinkle of birthmarks scattered throughout his face and exposed neck. Betty notices the way that hip lips twitch, almost as if he were talking to himself, a thought funny enough to make her smile. Jughead, riding a blowjob through a mantra in the form of a pep talk? Twisting her face at the smile, she sucks up before going down again, this time using her tongue to massage the underside of his throbbing member. She starts off slow, but it doesn’t take her long before her blonde head is bobbing up and down at a steady pace against him.

She doesn’t know if she’s doing It right, but judging by his reaction, she must be doing decent enough to rile such a reaction from him. Jughead is swallowing air at rapid speeds and when he looks down at Betty, his heart cannot handle going any faster. It just can’t.  

There she is, his childhood friend, in all her blonde, pastel wearing, good girl glory: sucking his dark soul away. With her hand wrapped at the base of his cock and dark patch of hair, the golden pony tail sways at the actions produced by the bouncing of her mouth against him. The lewd sucking sounds are wet, sounds which he can tell that she’s trying her best to keep silent. Her cheeks have sunken in on themselves, showing just how hard she was sucking while her jade eyes became hidden underneath the dark strands of blonde lashes.

One, two, three. One, two, three.

One, two.

Pop.

“B-Betts.” Strains Jughead. He’s sure that she’s been at it for at least four minutes, but those minutes have felt like hours and he was sure that he was going to burst at any given moment, especially now. The sight of Betty, with her glossed lips which were now messy and smeared with her saliva and berry lip-gloss.

“You like that, Juggie?”

Good god.

Blue eyes search green ones with rapid speeds, and he nods. “Okay.” She mutters with a sweet smile before her hand is twisting up, lathering itself with her left-over saliva. “I’m glad.” She spares him another look before a pink tongue is flicking at the tip of his manhood, teasing him. A bashful smile plays at her moist lips which look plumper than usual due to the friction caused her actions.

Jughead shudders uncontrollably. Betty takes him in again and this time she takes in more before she gag’s once and let’s go to cough. He lurches forward but Betty is faster and shoves him back, clears her throat and shoots him the deadliest glare he’s ever seen. His response is to sink back further into the corners of the couch and go back to gripping the life out of the old cushion. Like a kicked puppy, Jughead wants to please his master while remaining faithful and mutters a “careful” in her wake. He can feel his face burning up even more and the tips of his ears feel like they might fall off, his body is on fire and Betty knows, because she’s back on him not a second later, this time going for a few more minutes.

“Christ.” The boy hisses, dark brows knit together, teeth bared while his fingers dig into the fabric of the couch. He won’t last any longer, she knows. So instead Betty stops, uses her tongue to awkwardly circle his width inside her mouth, taking her thumb to rub along his length, stimulating the engorged veins that keeps pulsing against her palm.

“I’m gonna come.” He gasps out, his body shooting up and away from Betty at an angle, an action which causes her to follow him. “Then come, Juggie.” Popping him back into her awaiting mouth, Jughead shamefully whimpers while attempting to remove the girl from him but to no avail. She whacks his hand away. His gasps are audible, mixing along with the light wet sucking that fills the air of the small trailer. His body gives way and he slumps against the couch as his hand snaps out to grip the girl’s shoulder, fisting her neatly pressed clothes. “Betty, Betty-“voice hoarse, he attempts to stop her, warning her. “S-stop it.”

Instead, she continues, the blonde ponytail bouncing in place as she quickened her pace. A hum from Betty makes him sigh. The sucking is strong and velvety, smooth and hot, powerful enough to send electricity from the top of his head to ends of his toes. Jughead is close and he knows it, but there’s no way to tell her on time, he tried once and she ignored him.  She feels amazing. Hot mouth, slick and sensual, who knew a blowjob felt this good? He’s panting now, and the curls at his forehead have escaped the grey knitted beanie.

Betty won’t admit it, not now, not ever but her own heart was hammering against her chest. The sound so extreme and loud against her ears that if she didn’t concentrate on Jughead, she wouldn’t be able to stop. Still, she was excited for what was to happen next.

A light sensation fills his body, coursing through his veins. A feeling so powerful and arousing that it makes him lightheaded and causes his toes to curl painfully within his shoes. His stomach twitches uncontrollably while his hips jerk upwards and his eyes begin to roll back. Jughead only has time to register the high that’s beginning to invade his body before his eyes screw shut. A hand reaching to push Betty away, he doesn’t want to taint her like that. But Betty and stubbornness go hand in hand, she doesn’t budge, if possible- she keeps sucking harder and faster, while her hand pumps furiously at the base of his cock. That alone sends him into a daze, the stimulation sending him over the edge.

And then everything goes silent. At least, he thinks it does.

Betty sucks, not knowing when to stop until she hears the sharp intake of air and the grunt that follows. Jughead jerks violently into her mouth and her gag reflexes kick in just as something hot hits the back of her throat.

_Oh._

It doesn’t stop there; the thick fluid shoots out in four consecutive bursts. So, she shuts her eyes closed, feeling lightheaded herself when she registers is happening. Before she knows it, she’s swallowing thickly against the jerking muscle in her mouth. It takes two tries to get the salty gunk to go down, but she does it and let’s go of him as soon as she does, panting for air. It’s almost as if she’d been deprived of it for hours. Instantly the heat that accumulated at the pit of her stomach began to travel downward, in an uncomfortable tingling that made her thighs clench in response. Betty swallows, tasting the last bit of Jughead’s salty remains on her tongue.

Mossy eyes land on the boy before her, his head is thrown back and his mouth is agape while sucking in large quantities of air. His dark curls are loose against his sweaty forehead, the beanie which had fallen behind the couch the moment his threw his head back in ecstasy. Jughead kept his eyes closed, and his adam’s apple bobbed a few times, Betty noted. Curiosity hit her then and she looked down to noticed his member still twitching in the against her loose grip, but it was considerably limp compared to just moments ago. There’s a burn that she feels suddenly which causes her to let go of him to push herself up against the cushions.

“Juggie?” the concern in her whisper is undeniable. Did she go too far? Had she been too harsh? The apples of her cheeks flare up, images of the past ten minutes crashing into her like a million bricks.

_I just did that, she thought. I did that._

She looks away momentarily to stare at anything but Jughead and his exposed member. Betty berates herself for pushing him into the act. Allowing her to get the curiosity out of her system brings on a wave of utter shame and embarrassment. She knew Jughead was one to comply with pretty much anything that she asked for, and she knew he would crack the moment she planted her lips on his. Still, she tested his boundaries and realized that he was putty in her hands right after noticing the dazed look in his baby blues. Like a robot, he agreed to everything its creator wanted, even to a blowjob. A blow job for Jughead Jones: Mr. Wierdo, I’m Weird.

A grunt from her right breaks her chain of embarrassing thoughts and with wide eyes, Betty turn to look at her friend. “Jug?”

Jughead blinks twice, counting the cracks on the old ceiling. There’s a ringing in his ears and Betty’s voice is muddled. He can feel the dip to his left when she turns to him and he musters all his strength to flop his head in her direction.

“Jug, I’m so sorry.” She begins before placing her soiled hand on his arm. “If I did anything wrong, let me know. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. God, I’m so stupid!” and just like that, normal Betty comes back. And with ‘normal’ Betty’s return, he realizes that he has to calm her down because she’s ready to start berating herself into nothingness if allowed to. Jughead shakes his head and reaches out to grab a hold of her wrist which stops her in her tracks. The blonde was ready to start a routine that included walk in circles for at least an hour. Looking down at him, honey brows dip in concern and utter anguish. She doesn’t fail to note how his other hand moves to cover himself before quickly stuffing himself back into his dark boxer briefs.

“Betty, it’s fine…don’t worry. That was…” he starts to mutter before clearing his throat, feeling it compress suddenly and finding it hard to talk to her. The room suddenly feels like a furnace and Jughead feels the moistness on his back from the layers of clothes on top of the sweat he managed to work up.

“Bad?” Betty’s shoulders sag and her eyes are as wide as they can get while a frown graces her cursed plump lips.

“What? No!” Jughead shakes his head and clears his throat again and reaches down to button and buckle his pants back up. “Betty, as awkward and humiliating as that…was.” He pauses. “It’s was actually really good.” Looking up then, Betty feels her heart begin to race, suddenly being taken back by the positive comment on her new-found skills within the world of sex.

“…really?”

“Yeah, really.” An awkward smile forms at the corner of his lips and Jughead can’t help but break out into an uncomfortable laugh. Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugs. “Didn’t think you had it in you, Cooper. Especially, like… to practice on me…of all people” he shrugs again.  There’s a pregnant pause and Jughead focuses his sights on a dried-up cigar bud rolled under the coffee table.

 _I just ejaculated into Betty Cooper’s mouth_ , the thought alone causes him to cover his face with his hands. What else could have gone totally wrong? Have sex with her?

Not that he would mind.

“Oh gods.” He hisses into the silent living room. Betty is standing over him, watching with curious eyes. It all comes crashing down on him. Up until three hours ago, Betty was just his childhood friend and classmate and the ever so lovely-certified diner date at Pop’s. But now they’d gone and crossed over boundaries that were crossed by people, by couples.

 _I don’t think I’m equipped for this_.

“Jug…we can…” even Betty doesn’t know what to say. There’s an ache in between her legs and her words are jumbled up, and she’s one to think before she speaks. Yet, she can barely do that. “Umm.”

The miserable look on his face says a lot when he looks up at her. Betty points in his direction. “We can pretend like this never happened. I just…” her words wander she ponders her next sentence. “…gave you a really good massage. Yeah?” Puss n Boots is staring back at him and his heart leaps into his throat.

“I, uh-“comes his stutter. What in the world was going through her head? Was she regretting the act just he’s coming to terms with it? A frustrated sigh escapes past his lips. “Betty, no. It happened.” His arms shoot out to point out the obvious. “I’m sure that we can try to block that memory but it won’t work.”

He’s right, of course he is and so Betty nods. “Right.”

“Right” he echoes. “Granted, I would have not expected for my day to turn out this way.” Jughead stands and runs his hands through his curls, an act that Betty can’t help but note is super attractive. “Mhmm, sorry about that.” Grumbles the blonde. Standing straight, nimble fingers tug at the ends of her flower patterned top. “But Juggie, thank you for, umm…saying yes.” Betty continues. “I know you agreed to a kiss and that exactly wasn’t just a kiss.”

“No, it’s wasn’t. You took the kissing down south.” He teased. The blonde shoots him a glare filled with mixed signals and flaming cheeks. “Wait, wait.” Again, a pearly pink finger nail is directed at him. “I  _did_  ask you!” Betty’s fist makes contact with her palm. “And then you went, ‘ _Oh, uh, yeah_ ’.” The face that she pulls is funny enough to make him snort. Betty’s eyes are half lidded and unfocused while she imitates the boy before her.

“I did not do that, Betts.”

“Sure you didn’t.”

“I didn’t…” he knows he did and so does Betty because she sends him another one of her glares, this time one of her brows arches in a perfect angle. “Okay, maybe I did. Shoot me.”

Arms crossed, Betty’s flats tap against the dirty carpet and Jughead draws in another shaky inhale. “Betty, I’m serious when I say that I-“ A sigh. “-I actually enjoyed our fornication. Christ, strike me down if you’re real.” He mutters loud enough for Betty to listen in before her giggle fills the open space. “Jesus can’t help you here, Jug.”

“I doubt he’d help out two teens who aren’t married, and already giving blowjobs considering that’s what he preaches.” Jughead shudders at Betty’s words and flops back down on the couch. “Don’t say that word out loud, it’s as bad as the word ‘moist’.” Betty manages to laugh once again while joining him on the couch. “Okay, noted. Don’t use sex terms around Jughead. I’ll make sure that makes the press.” Her shoulder makes contact with his arm in playful banter which Jughead can’t ignore. Looking away from his shoes, he spares her a glance with a smirk. “Not the words, but the actions don’t sound bad.”

It’s Betty’s time to glare, sucking her bottom lip in-between her teeth. Jughead doesn’t miss the bright skin on her cheeks. “Cat got your tongue, Betts?”

“Oh, hush.” She shyly replies. They sit in comfortable silence for a few moments before Betty feels a tapping against her foot, so she does the same. A simple game of footsies between two teens. Giggling, Betty carefully slumps against the raven haired boy and is surprised to feel his head resting against her own, all while never stopping their foot tapping.

“No regrets?” she asks in the tiniest of whisper. Blue eyes watch their feet, never breaking contact with the neat pastel pink flats against his own cuffed hand me down shoes. It’s a simple question filled with so much more. It’s innocent enough to answer. He knows that he feels something. They can’t go back now, because at every touch that Betty keeps giving him, his body reacts with tingles bursting where she touches him, and wow she still smells good. A simple curious request landed them here now, and he muses that he doesn’t mind. As wild as the experience had been, and as left field as it felt, there was nothing hanging above his head.

“No regrets.” The deep voice comes in two vibrations, both which travels from her head to her chest, causing her heart to speed up. She nods and wiggles her right hand free to find his. Realizing her intentions, he’s quick to comb his fingers through her own, giving her a light squeeze in return. The act it’s oddly comforting and his heart restarts itself again. Maybe this wasn’t so bad. He didn’t know what was next for them. Whether she stopped after today or kept going, he was willing to go along with her plans. Whatever they were, one step at a time. Or for their sudden sexual state, one act at a time.

Betty giggles as she stomps down on his foot, which he quickly swipes to the side to knock hers to the side.

“Betty?”

“Yeah?”

“I saw  _stars_.”

Betty pauses to think on his comment.  _He saw stars_? She thinks. Blinking in confusion it takes her a moment before she gapes the very second that realization dawns on her. Jughead was talking about their earlier ‘results’. Stopping their little game, a flustered Betty pushes her weight onto him, who in return rubs at his nose with a bashful smile on his face, eyes crinkling in amusement.

 Now _that’s_ something that I can get used to, he muses, enjoying the way the blonde stomps on his foot, taking her second win for the afternoon.

 

-


	2. B-Virus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead's mind kicks into overdrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the long awaited second chapter is here! huge thanks to @daisy-chain-gardens & @electromagnetic-waves for helping me out with this!!

When night comes, Jughead is laying in bed; attempting to rest. Of course, that simple task proves to be impossible. Laying in the small twin bed, he shuffles in place for the hundredth time that evening since deciding to call it a night. It’s not easy for sleep to consume him, if anything his mind is actively fighting it off like a virus against his central nervous system.

 

_ Okay Jughead, one more time _ . He thinks, dark brows knit together in concentration.  _ Just let go and fall asleep, dammit. _

 

It’s barely seven in the night, and just like luck would have it, Sunnyside doesn’t sleep until  _ at least _ two in the morning. Neighbors are still wide awake, blasting old Rock-N-Roll tunes from a car somewhere to his left, right where his window is located. It’s loud and the thin glass of his window shakes at the vibrations produced by the music. There’s a faint smell of cooked meat in the air, which somehow managed to make its way through the tiny cracks of the riggity trailer. Jughead’s lips purse together, his mind now thinking of pieces of the steak that his neighbors are enjoying. As if on cue, the rumbling from his stomach let’s out in a long whine.

 

A sigh.

 

“Go to sleep, stupid brain.” He mutters, annoyed that the sandman refuses to visit. Shuffling again, Jughead relaxes his shoulders, releases the tension in his clenched jaw, and curls his bare toes beneath the old maroon blanket, earning a satisfying crack in return. The fumes from the outdoor grill get stronger by the minute, and Jughead mentally kicks himself for choosing to opt out from eating dinner. Eating was the last thing that he had to be worried about. Although, having a piece of whatever was being cooked outside made his stomach rumble twice more. Food is quickly thrown out the window the minute that a blonde head morphs behind his closed eyes.

 

_ Go away, Betty.  _ Jughead thinks. But imaginary Betty doesn’t listen, she successfully turns around in a slow, elegant twist to face him. The golden ponytail swaying gently behind her. A smile forming the moment that she makes eye contact with him.

 

Thump, thump.

 

Jughead’s eyes snap open, cool blue eyes staring holes into the brown ceiling. His heart is racing, and the heat from earlier in the day returns once again. A stiff hand uncurls from the blanket and drifts to lay right above his heart. A heart that could rival the motor of F.P’s truck.

“Goddammit.” He curses into the darkened room. His body on fire once again.

\--

 

After the events that afternoon, things had gone quiet. Their game of footsies calmed down when Betty and Jughead got into a tie of 4-4. Both teens sat in silence, a silence so eerie that Jughead couldn’t decide what to do next, should he say something? Did he even want to talk? At some point, one of them broke away from their cuddle. Betty was up first, grabbing her phone from her flowered backpack to check her phone (‘ _ Making sure Mother doesn’t think I’ve run away _ .’ She deadpanned then.)  The raven-haired boy, however, silently crept to the bathroom.

Being careful to shut the door behind him, he stood in front of the mirror. Jughead leaned down against the tiny sink. His palms digging painfully into the aged marble while his head dropped forward, beanie back in its rightful place up top his dark curls.

 

What the hell had just gone down?

 

It’s an easy enough question, but for Jughead, it’s the most difficult thing to answer for himself. Instead of lingering in his thoughts, he cranks the tap open to splash his face with the chilled water. With fall just around the outskirts of the sleepy town, the water is especially cold, freezing enough to send a chill down his spine to his toes.

 

When he wipes his face down and steps back out into the living room. Betty is nowhere to be seen. Instead, his phone chirps as he rushes out to look for her. Upon checking the phone though, there’s a message from the blonde.

 

_ Sorry, I called an Uber. Mom needs me ASAP. _

 

_ Oh _ , he thinks. He pauses to stare at the glowing screen for a few moments.

 

_ Well, that was that. _

 

Swallowing, Jughead looks out the opened door and out into the street where a silver car is pulling away, a blonde head clearly visible from the back window. As he stands there, Jughead feels his nose quickly growing cold and his breath soon becoming visible. Clearly in a state of shock and utter confusion, everything begins to dissipate around him. The only thing he can focus on in the taillights of the getaway car. The car in which Betty ran away from him with. A few seconds pass and the car is gone from sight, having made a turn away from Sunnyside…….

 

And just like that, Betty Cooper was gone.

 

There’s a ball that rolls across the makeshift lawn and two bundled up boys chase after it, causing Jughead to blink and shut his hanging mouth. The boys yell at each other, mad that one missed their intended makeshift goal using a tin trash can. Jughead blinks at the boys. He’s been brought back to reality and he sniffles, slowly creeping back into the trailer.

 

Once inside, Jughead leans against the cold door and the wall has never been more interesting. The day’s events keep replaying in his mind and he can feel his ears going pink again. Swallowing once, baby blue eyes travel down the spot between his legs. Just moments ago, a blonde head had been nestled in between them, pleasuring Jughead Jones. The halo that was Betty Cooper's neat golden pony tail suddenly manifesting before him and Jughead’s breath hitches.

 

_ Wha- _

 

But Betty is gone when he blinks again. Sucking in deep breaths and with shaking hands, he manages to push away from the door flipping around to make sure that every possible lock that his father installed was doing its job in keeping anyone away.

 

Even the likes of Elizabeth Cooper.

So, when he’s lying in bed later that night, all he can think about is the girl who he shared a couch with earlier. Also, the girl whom he made sure he locked all doors and windows for. Like a mouse hiding from the feral cat, Jughead was terrified. So terrified in fact that when his phone alerts him of a new message, his heart would attempt to travel up to his throat. Jughead wasn’t one to think he could ever reach maximum anxiety, but damn it was he feeling it.

Thinking back, it’s hard to pinpoint the moment that Betty took it way further than she had intended. She claims that he agreed and maybe did, but still- he can’t remember. That aside, her request before they’d arrived at the trailer seemed innocent enough. A text during Biology with a simple phrase- well; question.

 

_ Help me?  _ At exactly 8:16 AM.

 

Confused, the beanie clad boy turned ever so slowly to the back of the room where the messenger sat with Kevin Keller. He’d arched a brow in confusion and mouthed a ‘ _ what? _ ’ in her direction. Betty only mentioned to her phone. Doing as she mentioned, he stared down at the phone and just a few seconds after looking at Betty did the screen light up again.

 

_ I have a HUGE favor to ask. -8:18 AM. _ Betty added, along with a set of clasped hands. She was really into her emojis. If he scrolled up their chat history, there’d be little yellow faces and other objects littering her blue bubbled messages. Unlike him, Jughead got straight to the point and rarely (if ever) opened up the other keyboard.

 

_ Like…? -8:19 AM. _

 

His reply goes through and he turns back around to look at her. Betty blinks at her screen and goes back to texting away furiously.

 

What could she want? She was never this serious and now he was curious. It seemed important enough, considering that her next text is ambiguous as hell.

 

_ Meet me in the library during study hall. -8:19 AM.  _ And of course, like her last text, it’s topped off with another emoji, this time of a little blonde emote bending over for a favor.

 

Jughead tries to brush her shady texts away, and while it doesn’t work for about five minutes, the moment that the lab assignment for the day is announced, the thought is long forgotten when his redheaded friend shuffles to sit next to him.

 

“Bro, dad’s gonna be out tonight. Was thinking of playing some Overwatch?”

 

Jughead snorts and nods. “Sure man. There better be pizza involved though.”

 

“Oh yeah man, that’s for sure.”

\--

 

By the time that study hall rolls along, Jughead nearly slips away from the back entrance of the school’s halls. Not being one for staying trapped within the suffocating prison that was school, he makes it a point to ditch his last ‘class’. As soon as the clock struck 2:05, the boy would be en route to Pop’s. 

 

Except this time, when Betty messages him to remind him of their scheduled meetup.

 

_ Oh yeah, what did she want again?  _ He frowns at the phone.

 

Sighing, his hand let’s go of the handle, allowing the heavy wooden door to shut. Jughead glances around the empty hallway, turns on his heels and marches his way up the stairs and around the corner, peeking into the opened library on the second floor. It’s relatively empty with two other students typing away on the school’s ancient desktops facing the windows, the librarian sat at her own desk; scrolling through her phone. Like a ghost, no one notices him. The older woman on her phone pays him no mind when brushing past her.

 

When he spots Betty, she’s sitting in one of the two-person tables tucked away in a corner by the ancient civilizations section. Her signature pony swaying gently as her feet bounce unnervingly. He notices that her baby blue shoulders rise and sag a few times. Was she nervous? Her actions alone have him questioning agreeing to meet her.

 

“Bad news, Betts?” he muses, sliding across from her onto the wooden chair.  At the mere sounds of his hushed voice, the blonde jumps. Clearly spooked, Betty’s hand launches to rest against her chest. 

 

“You scared me.”  She mumbles back, green eyes wide as they could get.

 

“Sorry.” Jughead mumbles back and slings the strap of his bag off his shoulders, dropping the messenger back onto the desk. “You called?”

 

She spares him a quick glance then.

 

“…I did.” Betty nods once and Jughead notices her pink lip being sucked in between her lips: a nervous tick. He nods slowly and leans back against the chair. “Uh…huh.” Crossing his arms, they sit in silence for a few moments. Betty chews at her lip while fumbling with her fingers. Her green eyes are unfocused and dart back and forth between his general direction and her twiddling thumbs.

 

More silence.

 

_ Uhh. _

 

They sit in the silence of the library with the only noise filling the air coming from the keyboard from across the room. Cleaning his throat, Jughead leans forward, wringing both hands together. With an awkward chuckle, he tilts his head before questioning their current situation. Seeing Betty nervous made him nervous in return. What had happened? Was it that important that she was afraid to talk?

 

“You’re making me nervous, Betty. Is everything okay?” The magic words snap her out of her reverie and she shakes her head. “Oh yeah! Everything is fine. I just…” trailing off, Betty chews at her lip once more and nods to herself. Finding the courage to talk is harder than it seems. Furrowed blonde brows knit and un-knit, jaw clenches and softens. The boy from across the table takes notice and becomes increasingly nervous as her.

 

An inhale.

 

“I want to know if you can help me out with an…issue.” Betty finishes her sentence all while staring at wood surface of the table. Avoiding those blue eyes is harder than it seems, especially when her heart can’t stay still. But of course, there’s no point in being rude while simultaneously burning holes into the ancient table. She did summon Jughead for a reason. Puffing her cheeks with air, the blonde finally snaps her head in the direction of the beanie clad boy before her. Jughead tilts his head, a curious look on his face.

 

“Issue.” He repeats and Betty nods. The boy’s darker brows raise slowly, urging her on. There’s a sudden heat that travels through her veins, all of which decides to boil on the apples of her cheeks.

 

Elizabeth Cooper sucks in a deep breath, lowering her head and piercing green gaze. It was now or never and Alice Cooper did not raise a wimp. Betty’s finger meets the wooden surface.

“I need to you to let me kiss you and you  _ cannot _ say no.” she whispers loud enough for them both to communicate.

 

Jughead swore he’d stopped breathing then.

\--

 

“Kiss.”

 

Kiss. A kiss. One  _ kiss.  _ When Betty had dropped the bomb on him, Jughead struggled to keep his composure. The fact that his childhood friend had just demanded something so outlandish from him was beyond words and by the time that he could open his mouth, all he could do was stutter.

 

Stunned, Jughead blinked and struggled to form a sentence but Betty was giving him  _ the _ eyes. Eyes so determined, so  _ Cooper  _ and powerful that Jughead stayed silent. His icy eyes were blown wide and his mouth hung open. Betty on the other hand, leaned down against the table, watching him. Like Sheriff Keller on the day of the arson, Betty brought a justice powerful enough that he wanted his Miranda rights to be given to him for some strange reason. With blazing jade eyes and pursed cherry lips, one brow shot up impossibly high, giving a predatory look to her usual angelic persona.

 

Betty would make a great cop.

 

So when Jughead fails to give her as answer, silence is all that she needs as his response. It’s after a few minutes that she shoots up in her seat and claps her hands together. “Great! I’ll text you the info later.” While still in a daze, Betty proceeds to collect her Geometry book and pastel yellow cardigan from the seat next to her. When she stands, all he can do is stare at a spot on the table. There’s a string of curses that’ve been written and carved into the ancient table. One particular drawing choosing to mock him then. 

 

_ Haha! Loser!  _ Is scrawled in big graffiti styled text. The old faded marker masterpiece is scratched up and and missing a huge chunk of the L (probably from an attempted erase with a magic sponge). In fact, there’s more that decides to insult him then. A large cartoon penis is etched to his left, blue marker accentuating the droplets spitting out of it like a fountain. There are three childish looking middle fingers right across from the phallic doodle; all three directed at him.

 

Mocking him for being a big baby, so large and stupid that he couldn’t find the strength to say ‘no’, Jughead closes his eyes and leans back against the chair, Betty’s hand coming down to rest against his shoulder as a goodbye. 

 

“Thanks, Juggie.” she whispers hotly in his ear before rushing out. 

 

He misses the tremble hidden in her words so all he does in return is nod way after she’s gone from his immediate radius.

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

\--

 

The day’s events replay in his mind like a broken record. Over and over again, flashes of his childhood friend flash behind open and closed eyes. No matter what he does, Jughead can’t stop thinking about her. No matter how hard he tries, he just can't block her out of his mind. It’s as if she’s glued to him, from behind his eyelids to the base of his skull; Betty is everywhere.

 

Suddenly aware of the youngest Cooper, he can all of a sudden smell her, the sweet, warm scent of coconut fills his lungs. The calming and motherly voice is in his ears, shushing him like an invisible hand running through his dark locks. Except for the fact that he can’t actually calm down and rest like fake-Betty is beckoning him to. All he can think about was how  _ good _ he felt earlier. His body begins to tingle again and Jughead loses track of how many time’s he’s resisted the urge to stuff his hand beneath his sweat pants. Betty is the impossible virus that not even the world's smartest computer can’t get rid of. Like an evolving germ resistant to medical advances, Betty is a tick stuck to his skin, sucking away at his blood and no matter how much he tries to pluck her away from him; she’s lodged her way in too deep to the point of return.

 

The burn and teasing tingles that comes from the center in between his thighs intensify enough to force Jughead to snap his eyes open and yank the pillow from beneath his head. Taking the cushion to smother his face, he let’s out an insufferable yell into the night. 

 

Outside of his window, a dirty white trotting sheep dog looks up and howls along with him into the darkness.

 

\--

 

Two days pass and Jughead is back on school grounds. Having missed Archie’s proposed weekend gaming date and pizza, the blue eyed teen spent the entirety of the weekend holed up in the tiny trailer. Any contact from Betty was a staggering zero when he’d check his phone. There was a lot of confusion and doubt, especially directed at reality itself. Had the events from three days ago...actually happened? 

 

Saturday morning was spent sleepless. The aches and pains of an erection that would come and go, an erection that was never properly tended to. When he did try to relieve himself, it was just that; a try. It failed horribly the moment the covers were kicked away and hand lowered into his sweats. His hands just didn’t feel the same and so he stopped as soon as he began.

 

It was weird and Jughead felt disgusted in himself. His own hardness blew him away and boy did it hurt. The only thing that would make it go away was reciting Geometric formulas and thinking of the smell that would come from Archie’s gym shoes while they gamed.

 

Thoughts of Betty and her sinful mouth plagued him day and night and if he had to guess how many hours he’d actually slept, it’d be under seven during the span of three days. 

So, to say that he was _ beat _ , was an understatement. Jughead was exhausted, frustrated, annoyed; ready to chug endless amounts of cheap coffee. He couldn’t write or think properly. For the first time since his mother walked out on the Jones’ men, he was terrified to step through the school’s wooden doors. Betty would be in his first class of the morning: Biology. The thought alone sent a chill down his spine, as if it already wasn’t close to snowing out.

 

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself, headphones planted snuggly over the old beanie. As the hallways cluttered with students rushing to grab their belongings from their lockers, Jughead weaved through the crowd. Having chosen to arrive at the latest time possible, it was as crowded as ever, and it was part of the game plan; Avoid Betty Cooper. Although, in retrospect, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do considering Betty always rushed in near the end after her volunteer position in the admissions office. So of course fate decides to screw him over again.

 

“Ompf-” comes the feminine grunt. Jughead staggers for a split second, smacking shoulder first onto the door frame. It doesn’t take guessing to figure who’d just run into him, the blonde halo on Betty’s head gave her away instantly. He straightens, reaching towards the girls pink fleece covered arms in an attempt to steady her but something happens then. With not so much as an apology, Betty looks past his shoulder, pulling away and adjust her books, brushing past Jughead. The action alone leaves him stunned, blue eyes staring at the green board where she’d just be standing in front of. The usual murmurs of students suddenly become louder, in particular Kevin Keller’s laugh. 

 

It’s strange, being dissed is something that he’s used to. After all, no one really likes Jughead Jones, so being ignored wasn’t new. 

 

But being ignored by Betty  _ is _ new.

 

Jughead blinks twice and lowers his gaze to the marble floors. A wave of sadness washes over him then, and his throat recoils, a large lump clogging his airways. There was no worse feeling than being pushed away, rejected. First his mother, then his father, Fred Andrews and now Betty Cooper. It was only one week ago that Fred made it clear that he didn’t want to foster Jughead, and that had broken him. He wouldn’t admit it, he’d shrugged and continued to play video games with Archie the following day. Inside, however; he was crushed. It was already bad having to feel unwanted, but the fact that Betty was inducing the pain just did it for him. Betty wasn’t mean, she didn’t have a mean bone in her body. 

 

“Jughead, take your seat please.” A frenzied voice breaks him from his thought when the Biology teacher rushes past him, white lab coat already on. Watching as the teacher drops his leather bag onto the desk to roll down the projector down the board, the blurry view shocks him. Turning to the side closest to the door, Jughead clears his throat and blinks rapidly, batting the tears away. 

 

_ What the hell?  _

 

The day prior had some meaning, whether Betty chose to ignore it or not and Jughead was positive that something had been sparked then.

 

“Jughead, the lights!” It’s 8:09 am when Jughead shuts the classroom lights off. The projector whirls to life as it hangs from the ceiling. Large white numbers display the time on the blue screen which are then adorned by a tall shadow as he makes his way towards his usual seat next to Ginger Lopez in the second row. Before sitting down however, Jughead glances towards the back of the classroom out of burning curiosity. 

 

Betty is slouched over the desk, chin propped up against her palm. She’s also looking his way when they make eye contact but then deflects his gaze by turning towards Kevin and away from Jughead. The act alone makes his chest burn, and he begrudgingly sits down, his body slack against the seat. Blue eyes stare at the reflection cast against the shiny faucet on the dark desk.

 

Being ignored...what else was new? Disappointment and sadness envelop him like a hug from the aunt you don’t like. He tries to push the emotions away but it’s impossible. So he sits there, staring holes in the table. The voices begin to drown out and are replaced by the roaring sound of water. Today’s movie is about the amphibian life cycle and Jughead doesn’t give a single shit.

 

Like the night before, Betty continues to invade his very being. Thoughts of her face and voice, her  _ touch  _ drive him crazy. The movie is nothing but a blur and by the time that he looks up at the screen, the tadpole is already growing limbs. 

 

Ginger Lopez won’t stop texting and giggling. To his left Moose won’t stop snickering and pointing at the screen. In front of him, two students are probably asleep with their heads tucked into their folded arms and behind him, he can hear Cheryl Blossom tapping her nails against the granite desk. And if he listens closely, Kevin is snickering at something while  _ she _ shushes him.

 

“Oh my god!” Kevin blurts out, to which Betty loudly excuses him for being so loud. Not the anyone cares, the professor is passed out in his seat. Jughead can hear the pair of best friends whispering in the background and he can’t help but wonder what exactly has Kevin so riled up. The boy was already dramatic enough as it was, and he knew the duo were always giggling at something. A thought pops into his head then and a chill runs over his entire being, freezing him on the spot.

 

Surely Betty hadn’t said anything...right? Best friends talk about  _ everything _ , don’t they?

 

Panic sets in then, followed by a deafening ringing in his ears. Jughead feels his heart speed up as thoughts of Betty’s cherry lips wrapped tightly against his cock come back. Her wide, innocent green eyes flash in his head, and his heart skips a beat. Heat pools deep in his belly suddenly, the sensation curling around his intensities enough to rile up a reaction. Startled, he shoots up from his seat, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. The noise is loud enough to spook the sleeping students in front of him. Grabbing his bag, Jughead squeezes behind Ginger and zooms out the classroom.

 

“Hey! Watch it, weirdo!” shouts a clearly annoyed Ginger.

 

In the back, an alert Betty blinks and watches as Jughead disappears for the rest of the day. 

  
  


—

 

Betty was a strange creature. She was overly nice and extremely smart. She knew how to hold a conversation and have it end in her favor. Funny enough, when asking for favors, she always got her way. Jughead was no exception. If she needed his help, Jughead would always come through and for the times that he couldn’t, he’d make sure to try and make it possible to help her achieve whatever it was that she needed his help for.

 

When she asks to kiss him, for the sake of ‘practice’ Jughead dumbly agrees to her request. The agreement doesn’t register until he’s sitting in the old couch in his living room. Betty is sitting next to him, both of her palms playing flat against his thigh. The contact burns his skin and his breathing hitches when her lips brush over his. It’s a ghost of a kiss, and he can tell that she’s nervous as well. 

 

It was their first kiss both between them and in general.

 

Jughead was convinced that he didn’t  _ like _ anyone. The thought of having any sort of romantic feelings for the opposite sex made him shudder. The fact that he’d have to dedicate time for someone else besides himself and his writing was blasphemous, so when Betty kisses him, it changes everything.

 

If he had to name someone who he could have romantic feelings for it would be Little Debby, but only for her delicious brownies and overall repertoire of baked goods. The females in his family didn’t count. Sure, deep down in the feelings of his heart, he still loved his mother. Jellybean was an obvious keeper and he would do anything for the kid, but someone else? Jughead didn’t have crushes and by far less did he do romance. Yet, ever since the day prior, thoughts of the blonde would cause his heart to race. It was a strange sensation that he wasn’t used to. If it had to be compared to something, it would be the to the rush before getting caught for doing something bad and the closest was the fire that he started. Sheriff Keller hunting him down and tugging at the handcuffs while shouting for him to stop from running still plays clearly in his mind. 

 

Just as Betty’s kisses linger on his lips. 

 

When she had leaned over to kiss him, Jughead gulped a few too many times until his mouth felt dry. He wondered if his breath stunk but Betty didn’t seem to mind if it did. Betty inched closer and planted her lips against his own, her blonde ponytail swinging when tilting her head. Jughead felt her nose graze over his cheek and he blinked rapidly. Betty had long gone closed her eyes and he watched with horror as she smiled into the kiss. It was then when his own heart decided to smack hard across his chest. The pair of hands against his thigh sent electric bolts throughout his body and his stomach clenched on itself. 

 

He closed his eyes then. Betty took the opportunity to pull away for the slightest of seconds before tilting her head the other way for another kiss. They were pecks, nothing too serious, but the feel of sweet smelling lips filtered through his nostrils and into his lungs. Betty smelled amazing and suddenly Jughead was resisting the urge to grab on her collar, pulling her in for more of the warm smell.

 

The kissing continued. The blonde would give experimental kisses and Jughead found himself puckering his own lips for more. When he felt the absence of lips, he opened his eyes to find Betty biting her bottom lip. Her hand was still on his thigh and he was suddenly grateful that she hadn’t pulled them off. Confusion grazed his face and Betty batted her eyelashes in bashful silence.

 

“Would you mind...if—“ she began after a moment. Jughead, with his heart in his ears, struggled to make out what she was saying.

 

“If?” 

 

“I— well, I know I said just a few smooches for today, but—” Had she? How bad had he zoned out when she’d initially asked him for the favor? His heart kept again at the concept of being kissed more than just once a day.

 

“How do you feel about, um, french kissing?” The innocence in her tone and large doe eyes have him nodding dumbly as soon as she finishes asking him. It’s impossible to know what exactly is controlling him, but Jughead wants more of Betty Cooper. The idea is strange, to be with someone so intimately had never crossed his mind. He was positive he wasn’t attracted to anyone, or would ever be. But now, something's changed, and all thanks to a small request.

 

“Really?” Betty is as stunned as he is at himself. She retracts her hands and wrings her fingers together, her bottom lip once again trapped under pearly whites. He watches as she drops her gaze towards his knee, deep in thought. Was she regretting asking? Her eyes had been wide when he nodded, shock evident in her face. 

 

“Betty…” Jughead’s voice is raspy and Betty whips her head in his direction. Her cheeks have been tinted a deep scarlet, and her eyes are shining like never before. Sucking in a ragged breath and before he can even blink, Betty is leaning over his lap. 

 

“Thank you, Juggie.” She whispers into his open mouth before claiming it as her own. Betty’s mossy eyes and pupils expand, her irises becoming blown in a breathtaking showcase of human bodily functions. Jughead has only ever read about the event online and from twitter posts, but now, to see it up close; it was something else.

 

Sucking in a breath, Jughead prepares for the next stage of her request, trying to focus on breathing just as something wet comes in contact with his tongue.

 

_ Oh, shit _ .

 

—

 

It’s close to lunch when Jughead slips out from the library. His last class for the day is study hall, and he can leave if he wants and he does. Avoiding Betty all day was key, and it made his insides feel like he was shutting down. His eyes burned from the constant rubbing but he was proud to announce that the tears didn’t go past the edge. It’s not that he cried over Betty Cooper, but the overall thought of abandonment and rejection all suddenly collided with him when he sat down in the quiet space of the library. 

 

His dad was a drunk loser who is never home. His mother was an equal basket case that ditched her family and cut all contact with her son. No one in town likes Jughead. Okay, so that’s an exaggeration, but for the most part, he’s a ghost. Fred tolerated him until the city asked to possibly foster Jughead. Cheryl and her goonies always have something to say. The football jocks make sure to pick and prod at him during gym and Archie has been busy turning into a certified jock. To top it all off, Betty Cooper is now giving him the cold shoulder.

 

To make things even worse, the forecast lies to him. Drops of rain begin to sprinkle the permanently overcast town of Riverdale. The large trees that tower over the sidewalks of the cemetery protect Jughead who sighs in defeat. Gripping at his satchel, Jughead turns around and forms a plan to avoid the rain as much as possible. He could sprint across the street where the trees cover a majority of the sidewalk until he hits the main street. He could also keep walking and get drenched, but he can also hide under a coffee shops outdoor umbrella. 

 

It was either, get wet sooner or avoid it for a bit and stop getting drenched. 

 

Jughead feels overwhelmed suddenly. The frustrations of picking out a way to not get wet pisses him off. The feeling is surprisingly strong and the tears prick at his eyes like needles. Why did he have to live so far? Why hadn’t he carried an umbrella? This was Riverdale, for fucks sake! It always rained no matter if the forecast promised sunlight. There could be flames engulfing the town and somehow it would still rain.

 

An angry intake of breath courses through his lungs and Jughead stomps on the broken concrete sidewalk in anger. “Dammit!” His eyes burn and the the rain only intensifies, pelting down in heavy streams of freezing water. The tree above him can no longer offer protection and his jacket becomes soaked. Jughead grabs his book bag and stuffs it inside his jacket, not wanting to damage his laptop. Sucking in a deep breath, he tugs the crown beanie closer into his head before dashing out across the street and into the rain. Jughead jogs along the empty road towards the coffee shop, but stop when he notices the outdoor umbrella is gone. In fact, the coffee shop is closed. 

 

“Great. Just great!” Jughead shouts in anger. His body is soaked and glaring at the coffee shop isn’t helping. Another wave of emotion washes over him and the tears spill, mixing in with the rain running down his face. Jughead turns around and sprints towards the place he knows would keep him from the rain until it died down enough to head home: Pops Chock’lit Shoppe, his home away from home. 

 

Images of Betty brushing past him, acting as if he didn’t exist pollute his brain until the moment he sits down on the worn red seats of the diner, and Jughead feels just as cold as the rain that’d just soaked him to the bone. He finds himself staring at the glass encased sugar. He had missed Pop calling out to him and missed when a hot cup of coffee was placed right in front of him.

 

Betty Cooper had just broken his heart.

  
  


—

  
  



End file.
